Band System
The Band System is designed to help you find your place in our welcoming pickleball community. With a simple self-rating model, you can identify your skill level and join the right groups, enjoying a personalized experience while strengthening community bonds. Together, we’re setting a new standard for inclusivity.
White Band
Welcome to pickleball! As a White Band player, you’re brand new. You’re learning how to hold the paddle, the court layout, basic rules, and scoring. This level is about getting comfortable with the game’s fundamentals—exploring, learning, and enjoying the process.
Yellow Band
As a Yellow Band player, you know how to score, start rallies, and understand basic court positioning. You’re no longer brand new but are still building consistency with serves, returns, forehand drives, and volleys to strengthen your foundational skills and prepare for strategic play.
Green Band
As a Green Band player, you’re confident in scoring, positioning, and key shots. Now, you’re focusing on strategy, using dinks and 3rd shot drops to control pace. At this level, you’re learning to balance power with finesse to create new opportunities on the court.
Purple Band
As a Purple Band player, you consistently use the soft game, executing controlled dinks and 3rd shot drops. Your focus is on the transition zone, reducing pop-ups and refining your touch, so you can maintain steady control across the entire court.
Red Band
As a Red Band player, you’re beginning to excel in the transition zone with consistent 5th shot drops. You’re successfully using roll volleys at the kitchen line and focusing on precise target placement instead of only using power, bringing greater control and intention to your game.
Teal Band
As a Teal Band player, you’re highly comfortable in the transition area and proficient in every shot in pickleball. Your game is polished and versatile, with only one key challenge remaining: executing each shot under pressure with the same consistency and accuracy.
Dark Blue Band
As a Dark Blue player, you’ve reached the pinnacle of pickleball mastery, performing all shots with elite consistency, precision, and control—even under intense pressure. Your expert game management, strategic adaptability, and shot selection allow you to dominate the court in any scenario.
The Band System, created by Steve Williams and Nadia Haven, establishes a shared language to guide players to appropriate clinics, open plays, and leagues, enhancing their experience. It’s not a competitive rating or hierarchy but an inclusive tool, helping each player find their place and enjoy pickleball confidently.